


Scorecards

by helloshepard



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Canon, Ensemble Cast, Gen, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-03-12 10:13:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13545228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helloshepard/pseuds/helloshepard
Summary: Cosmos is the outlier that crashes into Soundwave's otherwise monotonous life. Conversely, Soundwave is the outlier that crashes into Cosmos's otherwise monotonous life.





	1. The Glow

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by coswave/lupisashes on tumblr. Starts at RID# 43 and continues from there. Mostly canon, but events have been slowed down 10x, and I don't really know what's going on with all these extra Primes in recent comics (because I haven't been reading the comics) so they might be ignored. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!

Outer space stretched before Cosmos.

The sight of the black, endless vacuum peppered with the occasional silver pinprick no longer brought about a panic—nor did it solicit any particular feelings from him.

It just _was_. Of course, there was the relief of getting away from Earth and off _Ark 1_ , getting away from the opinions and advice his team so readily offered whenever he was around. Space offered him no judgment, and no warmth.

Merely silence.

Cosmos adjusted his flight path ten degrees. If the information was correct, his target would be coming into view any minute. Cosmos took a moment to delete his private log, then turned his attention to the goal at hand.

The maybe-harmless Decepticon outpost, probably-not loomed before Cosmos. From this angle, it blocked out stars and void alike. Beyond the station lay Jupiter. Cosmos considered the planet only long enough to plan out a flight path through its asteroid belt if things went south.

Of course they would. Cosmos was no longer foolish enough to think they _wouldn’t._ The Autobot closed the distance between himself and the station. Sensors were alert, primed for information retrieval and upload. The visual scan of ‘Sanctuary Station’ was mostly unhelpful, but had provided several points Cosmos needed to examine further.

An uneasy feeling tugged at his spark. Cosmos pushed it aside, instead uploading the composition of the base’s outer hull into a portable storage device. If the ‘cons caught him out here, jettisoning the thing would ensure the Autobots got the data…in a few Earth years.

Uncaring—or unaware—of his presence, the station rotated in place, following some directional program.

It was too quiet. That was the problem. Cosmos pondered on the idea of it being _too quiet_ in space, a place where everything was equally silent. Mundane, even. Had he been expecting antiaircraft cannons mounted on every surface? A recording of the long-dead _Trypticon’s_ menacing engine blasted out into space to deter intruders?

Tentatively, Cosmos transformed. Gravlocks attached his pedes to the outer hull and he swayed for a second as the station completed another rotation.

Cosmos reached out. The dark metal was cool under his fingers, but hummed with activity. Cosmos paused to take a sample of a paneling seal then moved on. He carefully avoided the airlock control to his right, stopping only when a security camera peeked into view. A quick glance confirmed what Cosmos had suspected, but not dared to hope.

Security was still offline. The human’s arrival had likely thrown the construction schedule into disarray. Cosmos couldn’t imagine security being at the bottom of the list—not for Decepticons.

Slowly, he moved back towards the airlock, wishing he could hear what was going on inside. The deactivated camera loomed above him, sending a tingle of nerves down his spinal strut. Gathering his courage, Cosmos waved a hand in front of the lens.

Still nothing.

He squeezed past a tear in the outer hull, stopping only as he noticed movement below. Cosmos instinctively ducked out sight, but when no alarms were raised, he took a step back towards the opening. Then another.

He leaned forward, not far enough that his head would hit the shielding, but enough to see inside.

The Decepticons were scattered throughout the room. Most of them were examining their own data screens, but a few were communicating with the humans Cosmos had followed here. Fairborn and Blackrock drifted in the zero-grav, secured only by thin cables attached to the floor.

Cosmos leaned closer to the shielding. He couldn’t make out what anyone was saying, certainly, but this was a closer look at the station he had not hoped to get. As an afterthought he activated his stealth shielding. His position was—hopefully—out of the Decepticon’s sightlines. For the moment, he was invisible in every sense of the word.

Below him, humans and Decepticons alike went about their tasks. The room they were in was deceptively large, all gray sheeting and white storage boxes lining the walls. A few Decepticons moved to sit on the boxes, seemingly taking a break from their work.

In a word: boring.

The station began another rotation. Cosmos secured his hands to the station’s outer hull with additional grav-locks. Despite the monotony of his assignment, getting flung out into space was not Cosmos’s way of looking for adventure.

“New data log.” Cosmos said, without thinking about it. “Decepticons are working. Humans are working. I’m working. We’re all working. Happy day.”

Cosmos moved to rest his head on the edge of the hull.

“Delete that log.” He took a nonexistent breath and started again. “New data log. Decepticon activity is negligible. At this point I’d have to classify them as not particularly threatening. Not that the higher-ups care much what I think.”

Cosmos groaned.

“Delete that.” His HUD responded accordingly, wiping out the log from his internal monitors and sending it to…wherever discarded information went.

Cosmos looked back at the room. A few Decepticons had gone, but had left at a slow, unhurried pace. Not as fast as there’s-an-intruder-we-need-to-scramble, but faster than morning-after-Maccadam’s.

Primus. He missed Maccadam’s.

“New personal log,” Cosmos said. “I need to visit Maccadam’s if we ever get back to Cybertron.”

 _If._ Cosmos hesitated, agonizing over pressing the metaphorical delete key, then left the log undisturbed.

“Morale is low at home base, I think. Not that I’d know, seeing as I’m always stuck out here.”

The Autobot made a note of the doorway sizes, then continued.

“Though I don’t think being at base is much better either. I’ll give it a couple more hours. End log.”

He settled into a slightly more comfortable position, resting his head against his forearms as he watched the construction. The distance between him and them was comforting, certainly, but not as much as it once had been.

This just felt…isolating. As if he was trapped, forced to watch life going on while he remained the same. Almost stagnant. Upgrades and his stint on _Lost Light_ aside, for him, nothing much had changed since the war had ended.

He very nearly screamed when a hand grasped his shoulder. Cosmos disabled the extra grav-locks and stumbled back instinctively, looking up to see none other than the big bad of Sanctuary Station himself.

Soundwave. Galvatron’s top lackey. Who had probably told Galvatron there was an intruder here, and the Decepticon would be flying out to put Cosmos’s head on a pike.

Before he could finish that thought, Cosmos disabled the last grav-locks and transformed in a single fluid motion, heading for Jupiter’s surface. If he couldn’t beat the Decepticon in a fight, he could surely lose him en-route to the planet.

The Autobot spared a glance behind him.

Primus. Primus Primus Primus Primus.

Soundwave was _following him._


	2. The Final Frontier

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the feedback! This is definitely a pleasure to write, and I'm glad so many people are enjoying it! As always, constructive criticism is appreciated.

The expanse of space loomed before him as Cosmos sped towards Jupiter. He deftly navigated the first three asteroids, edging past them with plenty of space to spare before he felt a hand grab his backmost finnage.

Cosmos made a sharp right turn, successfully shaking off the Decepticon’s grip but spun instead into the fourth asteroid. Cosmos yelped, instinctively transforming as he hit the solid rock. Thankfully, his weapons seemed to be functional and Cosmos raised them, scanning furiously for his target.

The target, however, was nowhere to be found. Cosmos stumbled back, pedes scraping against the dark rock. Above him, the star-peppered sky shone deceptively bright and cheerful, only partially obscured by the asteroid belt.

He continued to scanning, moving backwards until his back hit a rock. Cosmos flinched at the impact, then moved down until he was crouched under the overhang. Maybe Soundwave had been knocked out of his flightpath. Maybe he was on the other side of the asteroid, doing the same thing Cosmos was doing. Maybe he had given up.

“Primus. Primus. Primus help me.”

As if giving him the metaphorical middle finger, Cosmos had no time to react when Soundwave dropped down from the cliff, weapon raised.

“Stop.”

Soundwave’s voice was softer than Cosmos expected. Almost pleading.

Cosmos fired. The shot bounced off Soundwave’s shielding effortlessly, then hit the ground with a dull thud. A split second later, his weapon was on the ground, and Soundwave had slammed him against the rock surface. A human might have seen stars, but Cosmos’s visor only glitched. Static arced across the screen as Cosmos blinked, then cleared just as Soundwave spoke.

 _“Stop.”_  Any trace of the softness—if Cosmos hadn’t just imagined it—was gone. Cosmos raised his hands.

“I give up. You can kill me and torture me for information but I’m not giving it up!”

Soundwave dropped his own weapon.

“I am not going to kill you.”

Cosmos was only half-surprised.

“You’re not?” Cosmos was unable to stop himself from the follow-up. “What about torture me?”

Soundwave tilted his head.

“No.”

Soundwave kicked away their weapons. Then he let go of Cosmos, taking a careful step back. Cosmos leaned back against the rock, comforted by its solid presence.

“What do you want?”

“I thought there was going to be no interrogation.” Soundwave’s voice was dry. Amused? Cosmos wasn’t sure what label to put on the tone.

“Uh.” Was his response.

Soundwave continued:

“I was going to invite you aboard.”

“Oh.” Cosmos managed. “I. Uh.”

Soundwave was...smaller than Cosmos thought. Perhaps it was the upgrades, but he could have sworn the Decepticon had been taller during the war. As it stood, Cosmos came up past Soundwave’s shoulders.  

“Would you like to come aboard?”

“No.” Cosmos said automatically. “I mean. No. Yeah. How’d you know I was here?”

“I have exceptional hearing,” Soundwave said, as if that explained everything. “What are you doing here?”

“I was. Uh.”

Soundwave waited. Cosmos was taken aback by the Decepticon playing along, but found his voice after a few awkward seconds.

“I was sent to find out what you were doing here.”

“By the Prime.”

“No. Well, yes. By Arcee.”

“Who serves the Prime,” Soundwave said. “As do you.”

“Hey!” Cosmos protested. “I don’t ‘serve’ anyone.”

“Hm.”

“It’s not like that!” Cosmos said, wondering why he was bothering to debate this.

The pair stood silent for a moment. Cosmos had enough time to realize he’d never had an amicable silence (only awkward quiet, and conversations going on around him) with _anyone_ before, when Soundwave spoke.

“You are welcome.”

“I didn’t say thanks.” Cosmos sniped automatically. “Thought you said you had good hearing.”

Soundwave laughed, cutting through the quiet with a knife.

“You are welcome to join us.”

“Join you.” It was Cosmos’s turn to laugh. “The Decepticons?”

“The war is over.” Soundwave said, as if it could ever be as simple as that. “We are all equal under Primus, Cosmos.”

“Right…” Cosmos waffled, unsure if this was some sort of ploy. “Well. I should be going.”

“I understand.” Soundwave said. “I did not expect an answer. Today’s events were unexpected.”

Cosmos let out a relieved ex-vent. “You got that right.”

Soundwave lifted his hand, hesitated, then placed it on Cosmos’s shoulder. Cosmos flinched, not at the impact, but at its implications.

“Contact me if you wish.”

“I think it’s a little early to start exchanging comm frequencies.” Cosmos joked, then cringed. _This_ was why no one liked him. “Sorry. How?”

Soundwave didn’t appear fazed.

“Say my name. I will hear you.”

“Right.” Cosmos said. “Exceptional hearing.”

Cosmos imagined a smile on Soundwave’s face—did the mech even have a face? Soundwave nodded.

“It was good to talk, little Autobot.”

Normally Cosmos would have bristled at a nickname directed at his height, but Soundwave seemed sincere.

“Yeah. Same, I guess.” Cosmos picked up his weapon and subspaced it.

“Soundwave?”  
“Yes?”

“The Onyx code. Have you looked at it?”

“I have not. Why?”

“I...it’s old Cybertronian. Nothing we’ve seen before.” Jetfire could explain this so much better, but Jetfire wasn’t here. There was just Cosmos, trying to help out a Decepticon.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Were he able, Cosmos might have smiled. 

“I appreciate what you said. And you didn’t kill me. Which was nice.”

Soundwave picked up his own weapon, subspaced it, then stepped back and activated his internal thrusters.

“I appreciate it.” Soundwave said. “But they are not like you and I.”

“What do you mean?”

“We are equal under Primus. Through no fault of their own, humans are not.”

Cosmos thought back to D.O.C., waiting for him on the ship.

“Like drones.”

“Exactly.” Soundwave pushed off, leaving Cosmos alone with his thoughts.

“That,” Cosmos said, “Was not how I expected my day to go.”

The flight back to Earth seemed longer than before, but eventually Cosmos was back.

“Cosmos.” Arcee turned from the terminal she was examining to face him. “How was it?”

“Nothing going on. Peaceful, if you can believe it.” The lie slid out easier than Cosmos expected, and he didn’t turn to see if Arcee was scrutinizing the explanation. “I’ll prepare a report tomorrow.”

D.O.C. was there to greet him as Cosmos opened the door to his bunk. The drone flopped over onto the recharge slab and Cosmos did not hesitate to follow.

“Primus.” Cosmos said, to no one in particular. “What a day.”


	3. Let Go / Be Dragged

The next weeks passed without note.

Cosmos went into space for a mission, then came back. Arcee called. Cosmos went into space for a mission. Then came back.

Cosmos felt a wall coming up between himself and his teammates—there had always been a distance between them, but now it was growing. Using the ship for hardly anything but a quick nap and a cube in between missions while everyone else stayed put was beginning to rub Cosmos the wrong way, but it _was_ his job. After Galvatron was dealt with, things would go back to something resembling normality.

Galvatron was up to _something._ Everyone knew that. But just what that something was...well, everyone had a different opinion.

Arcee and Optimus seemed convinced Soundwave was planning something equally diabolical. Cosmos was torn. On one hand, it made perfect sense, that Soundwave had convinced Cosmos there was nothing going on with misdirection and kind words. On the other...

 _Decepticons_. Right.

Cosmos finished off the last of his cube. His rations had barely been able to keep him online for the last mission, and the Ore-13 pickings were only getting slimmer with time.

Before he could finish that thought, his comlink pinged. Arcee.

Cosmos nearly sighed, and instead stood to dumped the empty cube into the disposal. He patted D.O.C., then headed to the bridge.

As always, Arcee was impatient. She tapped her pede against the inner bulkhead, fingers echoing the motion against her blade.

“Cosmos. Good of you to show.”

Cosmos didn’t fight the urge to roll his optics.

“Optimus wants to talk.”

Instinctively, his shoulders straightened. Perhaps this wasn’t going to be another boring mission. The endless recon assignments would be worth it if they were for something _tangible._ Optimus, for instance. Arcee had been his only point of contact since returning to the station. Cosmos wasn't sure what the Prime had been up to, but this felt like a good thing. A worthwhile thing.

“Cosmos.” The Prime’s low voice was behind him. Cosmos whipped around. “It is good to see you.”

“Likewise, sir.” Cosmos managed. “Arcee said you had something for me?”

“Indeed.” Optimus gestured to the terminal beside Arcee. “The threat of Galvatron grows by the day. We must take measures to ensure he does not succeed.”   
“I understand,” Cosmos said, though he was unsure what he was agreeing to. “What do you need?”

Optimus waved the screen away, replacing it with a readout of Sanctuary Station.

“The Decepticons appear to be ignorant of Galvatron’s plans. I believe it necessary to bring them the message of Galvatron’s intentions. With that information, I am certain they will come to our side.”

The confusion must have been obvious on Cosmos’s face, because Optimus continued:

“They will join us, or face the consequences of indifference.”

“You have proof?”

Optimus nodded, holding out a datapad for Cosmos to examine.

“Jazz has been busy. We now have concrete proof of Galvatron’s intentions. And they are as nefarious as we believed.”

Cosmos skimmed the datapad. It seemed true enough: notes on Galvatrons movements, logs of the Decepticon’s activities on Cybertron and Earth—and Cosmos was proud to see more than a few of his reconnaissance reports were included. Relief, tempered with churning in his tanks, sank in. This debacle would be over soon.  

“What exactly am I going to be doing?”

“Bring this message to Soundwave and the commune. Tell them I am offering a hand of peace.”

“I think...” Cosmos said carefully. “Soundwave would reject that idea.”

“Indeed.” Optimus said, but did not inquire how Cosmos would have come to that conclusion. “Tell him he has a choice.”

“What makes you think he’ll listen to me?”

“If he does not join our cause voluntarily, we will be paying him a visit with a reason he will be unable to reject.”

“I don’t understand.” Cosmos admitted.

“You don’t need to.” Arcee interjected. “Just give him the datapad.”

“I—okay.” Cosmos subspaced the datapad. “How much time do I have?”

“Accounting for travel?” Optimus mused. “Four days. Contact us on the station if you are able.”

“I understand.” Cosmos said, though he really didn’t.

He turned to leave. “See you in four days.”

“Cosmos?”

He turned back to the pair. Arcee had resumed her work at the ship’s helm, but Optimus was still watching him.

“The Decepticon’s greatest asset are words. Empty promises of peace. We will not have peace until the threat to Earth is eliminated.”

“Got it.” Cosmos wondered if _somehow,_ Optimus knew about the conversation he had had with Soundwave. Perhaps Optimus was just giving him advice—and perhaps Cosmos was becoming as paranoid as Prowl. “No empty promises.”

“Safe travels, Cosmos.” 

“Appreciated, sir.”

The flight to Jupiter was shorter than Cosmos expected. The planet’s frequent solar storms had quieted for the day, cutting out half a day’s worth of travel. Cosmos contented himself with reading the datapad, familiarizing himself with Galvatron’s modus operandi, and with the recent movements of the Decepticons he was going to ‘visit’.

He didn’t hesitate when accessing Soundwave’s file.

There was all the data the Autobots had on Soundwave in the last two years. Mundane, redundant information—nothing that seemed threatening enough to force the Decepticon into an alliance with the Autobots.

As he approached the station, Cosmos read further back in the records. The datalogs were getting scarcer, but there was one log in particular that chilled his spark to the core.

_-Entry 1113, Cybertron. Decepticon compound. Sending this report to Prowl._

Cosmos pulled up an image. Cybertron. A Decepticon’s body. Another image. Soundwave.

_-Soundwave’s done the job. Needlenose’s reaction confirms it._

_-Probably be useful for blackmail later. Information is power, as the humans say._

_-Addendum: Earth // 2015_

_-Needlenose has joined up with Galvatron. As has Soundwave._

_-The question remains: when do we deliver this information?  And to what end? The wrong time will serve only to strengthen them._

_-Prowl would know when to use it._

“Oh no.”

Apparently the station’s external sensors had been activated, because someone was comming him.

::Autobot.::

::Y-yes?::

Whoever was on the other line cackled.

::I told you, Laserbeak. Soundwave got that one hook, line, and sinker.::

::Hello?:: Cosmos offered. ::This is Autobot Cosmos, requesting an airlock. I have information from Opt—::

::Only if you can answer this question.::

Cosmos would have frowned, had he not been in his alt. mode.

::Is this standard procedure?::

::Sure.::

::Why should you not write with a dull pencil?::

::What’s a pencil?::

The voice on the other side of the line didn’t seem to care.

::Because it’s pointless!::

Cosmos heard the mech being shoved out of the way. A different, equally unfamiliar voice spoke.

::Head to the lower decks. We’ll have an airlock open.::

::Thanks.:: Cosmos said, but the connection had already been cut.

He drifted towards the airlock, transforming into root mode at the last second. Decontamination was quick and before Cosmos had time to compose himself, the door slid open, revealing none other than the station’s founder.

Cosmos had spent a substantial portion of the flight wondering how to start this conversation. Notions of greetings and small talk flew out the window as the enormity of what he had been sent to do crashed down on him.

“I’m not here to spy.” Cosmos said.

“I know.” Soundwave said simply. “You are here because the Prime sent you.”

“How’d you—” Cosmos sighed, half-relieved the pleasantries had already been finished. “Exceptional hearing. Right.”

“Please.” Soundwave closed the outer airlock. “Come in.”

The place was even more deserted than before. Their footsteps echoed in the hallways, making Cosmos think of an old Earth movie he had watched from orbit once.

They stopped at a refueling station. Soundwave pulled two cubes from the dispenser, filling both to the brim.

“Watered down.”

“Ore-13 has been hard to come by,” Cosmos agreed, then kicked himself for admitting the Autobots were having a fuel problem. Nonetheless, he accepted. “Thanks.”

Cosmos hadn’t realized he’d been hesitating before Soundwave inclined his head towards the cube.

“I hold no malicious intentions toward you, little Autobot.”

There was that nickname again.

“Look... _Soundy,_ ” the nickname didn’t sit right with him, exactly, but it was the first thing that came to mind. “I’d like to believe you, but...”

“Four million years of war makes that difficult.”

“Yeah.” Cosmos admitted. “It does.”

“You must be tired.”

“I’m fine.” Cosmos reached into his subspace and pulled out the datapad. “From Optimus.”

“I know what it contains.” Soundwave said.

“It’s true?” Even as Soundwave nodded, Cosmos felt his spark drop. _Stupid._ Stupid of him to hope this place, like everything else the Decepticons had created, wasn’t built on spilled Energon.

“What are you going to do?”

“I do not know,” Soundwave said, and this time Cosmos was certain the Decepticon was telling the truth. “Needlenose is an essential part of this commune.”

Cosmos swirled the remains of the cube, watching the pink liquid splash against the clear sides.

“I think,” Cosmos said carefully. “If you really wanted to start pushing the agendas of your new Decepticon cause—or whatever this is—you need to start it with a clean plate.”

Soundwave stared at him. Belatedly, Cosmos realized he had just torpedoed his own faction’s intentions.

“Aw. Primus.” Cosmos managed a humorless chuckle. “I’m awful at negotiation.”

“You are honest.”

Cosmos thought back to his falsified report, filed so many weeks ago. “I don’t know I’d say that.”

“You feel you should advocate for Prime and the Autobots, even if it is not what you believe?” Somehow, Cosmos didn’t think it was a question.

“No. I mean...no. You’d rather I just up and abandon my faction because they’re doing something I’m not comfortable with?”

“What I want is irrelevant.” Soundwave said. “You are the one faced with the choice.”

Cosmos inclined his head to the datapad.

“And so are you.”

It was Soundwave’s turn to offer a mirthless laugh.

“I suppose I am.”


	4. All Eyes on You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of a filler chapter; too long to combine with the previous or the next. On a happier note, I will be on spring break soon, so hopefully I'll have time to edit the next chapters and get them posted quickly!

Several hours later, Cosmos finally agreed to be shown to a room. Most of the hallways were dark, and Soundwave explained power had not yet been activated in those areas. They would be, Soundwave assured, as more inhabitants arrived. For now, the residential hallway was a single, dimly lit corridor.

“Here.” Soundwave gestured to the door at his right. “Change the access code if you wish.”

“I will.” Cosmos said. “I mean. Not like I want to lock you out. Well, I do.”

He groaned.

“I’m sorry. I’m not good at this small talk thing. Or any kind of thing.”

“You are good at several things, Cosmos. Perhaps you should add negotiating on behalf of your enemy onto your list of talents.”

Cosmos huffed halfheartedly. The surrealism of his situation had finally sunk in. Soundwave was making a _joke._ Soundwave was joking with him, and Cosmos didn’t entirely hate it.

“Flattered. And you can add _wonderful,_ welcoming and kind host to yours.” The door hissed open and Cosmos hesitated at the entrance. “Well. Goodnight Soundwave.”

“Goodnight, little Autobot.”

By the time Cosmos turned back, Soundwave was already gone.

The room was bigger than Cosmos expected. There was a console, a large recharge slab pushed in the corner, even an Energon dispenser in another. Surely a room that consumed this much power wouldn’t be left empty.

It wasn’t until Cosmos saw the perches secured to the wall that he realized where he was.

“Aw Primus.”

He had opened a comm frequency before remembering he had no idea what Soundwave’s channels were. Cosmos hesitated over the input for a moment, before giving in and closing the program.

He supposed it was time to give Soundwave’s ‘exceptional hearing’ a test.

“Soundwave?”

Cosmos wasn’t sure what he had expected, but he hadn’t expected _nothing._

“Soundwave. Soundwave.” Cosmos offered, pacing the length of the room. “Soundwave?”

The door chimed.

Cosmos keyed open the door to find Soundwave on the other side.

“Yes?”

“This is your room.”

A nod.

“Soundwave, I’m not going to sleep in your room.”

“It has been cleared of all my possessions.” Soundwave replied. “You require a place to rest while visiting.”

“And you live here.” Cosmos interjected. “I’m not kicking you out of your home. I’ll power down in one of the decommissioned rooms.”

Before Soundwave could protest again, Cosmos squeezed out of the doorway, deftly avoiding Soundwave’s hand.

Thankfully, the station’s layout had been easy to memorize. Cosmos took a quick left and headed down the dark hallway. The automatic doors were disabled, leaving the space wide open to anyone who might wander by. Cosmos considered the possibility of _not_ recharging for the next three days and quickly discarded the notion. He would need to keep his wits about him, for one, and going back to Earth exhausted would guarantee some sort of injury en-route.

Cosmos settled on the recharge slab, lying with his back to the wall. At the very least, any intruders wouldn't take him _completely_ by surprise.

He awoke to a soft hum emanating from his comlink, which had turned on at some point during the cycle. Cosmos snapped back into full awareness in an instant.

Right. He’d forgotten to confirm his arrival with Arcee and Optimus. Cosmos typed in a quick confirmation, relaying the datapad had been handed over, and that Cosmos was still alive.

The reply consisted of a single word.

_Acknowledged._

Cosmos sighed. Too much to hope they would ask how he was doing. He slid off the slab and headed out.

The station’s activity cycle was just as quiet as the rest period. Cosmos saw no one on his way to...wherever he was going. If Soundwave had someone tailing him, they were doing a fantastic job.

Or perhaps Soundwave was just watching him through the vid feeds. Cosmos looked up at a camera and waved. Nothing.

Cosmos headed back in the direction of the airlock. From there, he could easily find the room he had spied on all those weeks ago, where the Decepticons seemed to congregate.

He was nearly there when a smattering of voices caught his attention. He followed the sounds, past the active bunks and the airlock, until he came to the room. In the intervening weeks, it had changed from an empty storage space to a cafeteria of sorts, marked by several Energon dispensers and long, low tables lining up in several neat rows.

Soundwave was there, accompanied by two of his cassettes and a few other Decepticons. Save for the cassettes, the Decepticons ignored him, but Soundwave stood. Cosmos stiffened, but Soundwave seemed unwilling to revisit last night’s argument.

“Little Autobot.” Soundwave gestured to the other Decepticons. “Needlenose, Sky-Byte, Flatline, Onslaught, and Bludgeon. The Station’s first residents.”

Cosmos nodded to the Decepticons, who had looked up at the mention of their names.

“A cube?” Soundwave nodded towards the dispenser.

“Yes. Please.” Cosmos followed Soundwave, wishing he could avoid the cassette’s gleaming optics as they tracked him across the room.

“Little Autobot.” Soundwave handed Cosmos the cube.

The nickname again.

“You know I’m almost as tall as you, right?”

Cosmos imagined a smile.

“Indeed.” Soundwave said. “You prefer I call you something else?”

“My name would be a good start.” Cosmos half-joked. “You _do_ remember it. Right?”   

His spirits were beginning to drop when Soundwave finally replied.

“Of course, Cosmos.”

The silence that soon settled between the two felt more...awkward than before. Forced. Or maybe it was just his imagination. Cosmos wouldn’t put it past his overactive circuits.

“I don’t know why they asked me.” Cosmos said finally. “I never told them we talked before.”

“Had you considered it was your capabilities of interstellar flight?”

“Well, yeah. But someone could’ve taken _Ark_ and come here in half the time. I guess...maybe I figured it was ‘cause I was the lowest rung on the pole.” Cosmos frowned. “I don’t think that’s the right saying.”

“I do not believe the Autobots hold such little regard for your life.”

 _“Hah.”_ Cosmos drained the cube, then returned it to the dispenser. “They’d have to notice I existed first.”

Cosmos realized his error the second Soundwave tilted his head.

“Slag. I probably shouldn’t be badmouthing my faction in the middle of trying to get you to come on board.” Before he was aware of his movements, Cosmos’s pedes were carrying him out the door. “I’ll see you later, I guess. Gotta report back to Arcee and Optimus.”


	5. Radio Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another shorter chapter, but stuff will start happening in the next chapters!

Yet again, Soundwave followed.

Cosmos made it halfway to his room before stopping. The walkway had floor-to-ceiling viewpanes, offering the pair a magnificent image of the stars, stretching out farther than Cosmos could imagine.

It had never looked so cold.

Cosmos wished he could be anywhere but here, trying to salvage what little remained of his dignity before he needed to tuck his tail in between his legs and run back home to _Ark_.

“Look.” Cosmos said. “I’m just not used to this whole two-way conversation, okay? Usually it’s just me and my datalogs.”

For the second time that day, Cosmos groaned.

“I probably shouldn’t be giving you all these insights into my state of mind, either. Okay. I’m done talking. Unless it’s about business, I’m gonna be quiet.”

“Cosmos.”

“Yeah?”

“I am not trying to turn you against your master. Nor do I intend to harm you.” Soundwave said. “You are free to speak your mind here.”

“I don’t believe you.” Cosmos snapped, then immediately regretted losing his temper. Soundwave only inclined his head, as if waiting for Cosmos to continue.

“I’m sorry. I just...I don’t understand how you can pull a 180 so fast. From advocating the death of all organics and fighting Autobots to the brink of extinction, to starting a commune? The war’s been over less than five Earth years. I don’t trust you farther than I can throw you. I feel like Optimus sent me to fly over the creek without a paddle. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

There. Utterly defeated, Cosmos sank to the floor, wishing the void behind the windowpane would swallow him whole. Perhaps if he fell far enough, Arcee and Prime wouldn’t be able to find him, to learn what an unsalvageable mess he’d made of their plans.

“So, you can kill me or brainwash me or whatever now. All my secrets are out.”

He felt the air move around him, heard a dull scrape of metal against metal. When he looked up, Soundwave was sitting beside him.

 “How can I prove my intentions to you?”

“I don’t know.” Cosmos admitted. “I don’t know if it’s you, or me that needs...something. I don’t know.”

“Have you considered the idea that I am speaking truthfully?”

“Of course!” Cosmos said. “I don’t know if I want that.”

“Why not?”

“That’d mean I’d be a better Decepticon than I am an Autobot.”

“Is that such a bad thing?”

“Yes! No.” Cosmos hesitated. “I don’t know.”

“What _do_ you know?”

“Hah.” Cosmos shrugged. “I know you’ve been nothing but nice to me since we met, even though I shot you. I know you haven’t been trying particularly hard to get information out of me, though I haven’t made that hard at all.”

Cosmos hesitated.

“What about you?”

“What?”

“What do you know?”

Soundwave sighed.

“I know you have been nothing but honest in our interactions. I know this place isn’t what you expected. I believe you want your perspective to be valued.”

Cosmos echoed Soundwave’s sigh and leaned back against the viewpane.

“On the nose.” Cosmos said. “And where does that leave us?”

“As the humans say, I believe it leaves us with a fresh slate.”

The silence between them grew, though Cosmos noted it was no longer forced, no longer awkward. Just quiet.

“How can you hear so well?” Cosmos finally asked.

When Soundwave didn’t reply, Cosmos turned to look at the other mech. Soundwave was looking down at the floor.

“Soundwave?”

The Decepticon nodded.

“You don’t have to tell me if it’s something awkward.”

“It is not.” Soundwave said. “It is merely a long story.”

“I’ve got two days.” Cosmos offered. “What about you?”

Cosmos imagined another smile.

“I believe I can delegate today’s duties.” 

 

 


	6. Destinations Unknown / Destinations More Unknown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shameless Night Vale reference*  
> Anyway, since school is (hopefully) done forever I plan on updating more regularly! Enjoy!

When Cosmos thought to check his chrono, he realized he and Soundwave had talked nearly half the cycle—and Cosmos was certain they could talk for another. Soundwave hadn’t moved except to straighten his legs, but Cosmos had slouched even further, until he was practically supine.

“Slag. Soundwave.”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry I dragged you away from work.” Cosmos cringed.

Soundwave leaned over him and despite how enjoyable the last hours had been, suddenly Cosmos felt very, _very_ vulnerable.  

“Do not apologize.” Soundwave said. “It was an...enjoyable endeavor.”

“Enjoyable.” Cosmos echoed, then stopped. “Wait. Can you hear what I’m thinking now?”

“I am trying not to.” Soundwave said. “Filtering out every sentient’s thoughts is difficult. Focusing on only one is far harder.”

“Oh.” Cosmos wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed. “I’d think it’d be easier for everyone to just know what everyone else was thinking. Wouldn't it get rid of so many problems?”

“Theoretically.” Soundwave said. “But if all we know are another’s thoughts, any concept of individuality would be lost. You might value D.O.C.’s wellbeing as much as Jetfire does. Or he might begin to share your view.”

“I think I get it. Sort of.” Cosmos stretched out his legs. “Would you give it up?”

“Yes.” Soundwave said, so quickly Cosmos lifted his head, startled and afraid he had upset the Decepticon. “I would like to know what it is to live without such a mental strain, though I am unsure I would be able to handle the silence.”

Cosmos nodded.

“Sometimes it’s too quiet out there.” Lazily, he gestured to the windowpane. “You’re stuck just imagining what everyone down there is talking about. It’s interesting and lonely at the same time.”

“I would like to experience that one day.” Soundwave said.

“Yeah?”

“Yes.”

“I think you could do it here. Right in the station’s orbit.” Cosmos gestured vaguely towards the viewpane. “It’s not the same as observing a planet, but it’s plenty quiet out there. I mean, if your abilities are that advanced, you won’t be _unable_ to hear them, but I think it’ll quiet things a little. I think.”  

“It seems worth an attempt.” Soundwave stood, then stopped when Cosmos did not get up. “You are not coming with me?”

“Oh! I didn’t know you wanted me to. Kinda defeats the purpose of going for quiet and alone time.” Cosmos rolled over, pulling himself up to a sitting position. “I can if you want.”

Soundwave nodded. Cosmos got to his feet and followed Soundwave to one of the airlocks.

A moment later they were suspended in zero gravity. Cosmos waited as Soundwave struggled to adjust to the sensation. Every time he began to drift, his thrusters kicked on, bringing him back to his original spot.

“It’s okay to move a little.” Cosmos said. “The station’s orbit is affecting our trajectories.”

Unthinking, he grabbed Soundwave’s arm, intent on steadying the Decepticon, who wobbled visibly as he deactivated his thrusters yet again.

Soundwave flinched. Cosmos jerked his hand back, abashed.

“I’m sorry. I thought you could use the help.”

“No.” Soundwave said. “It was unexpected. That is all.”

Soundwave held out his arm. More than a little relieved, Cosmos grabbed Soundwave’s forearm, pulling up Soundwave as the Decepticon nearly fell into the station’s gravitational well. Cosmos activated his own thrusters and directed them further up, until they had passed the topmost point of the station.

“Here.” Cosmos let go of Soundwave, who staggered, but remained where he was. “Quieter?”

“Yes.” Soundwave’s voice was soft. He drifted to the left, but pulled himself back to Cosmos. “Much quieter.”

They remained for what felt like minutes, though Cosmos knew it had been the better part of the hour, drifting along the station’s orbital path. The very nature of their proximity resulted in bumping and jostling as they followed the station, though Cosmos found himself minding less and less each time. Their arms bumped one final time.

“Thank you for showing me this, Cosmos.”

“You’re welcome.” Cosmos took a chance and brushed his hand against Soundwave’s arm. Soundwave looked down, but there was no hint of the former uneasiness. “Ready to head back?”

“In a moment.”

“Okay.”

They drifted together in silence for another minute. Cosmos hadn’t let go of Soundwave’s arm, but doing so now would be...awkward, now that Soundwave had acknowledged he was aware of it and didn’t mind.

Besides. Cosmos didn’t _want_ to.

Slowly, Cosmos navigated Soundwave back to the airlock, letting go of Soundwave only when the decon sprays hissed, showering them both with the cleansing sonics.

“I apologize, Cosmos.” Soundwave said. “I have an urgent matter I must attend to. Please feel free to utilize any amenities the station provides.”

“Oh. All right.” Cosmos wasn’t _disappointed,_ exactly. It was something else.

The Decepticon’s hand came to meet Cosmos’s shoulder.

“If you need anything...”

“Say your name.”

Cosmos imagined another smile.

“I was going to give you my comm frequency, but that is an equally acceptable method of communication.”

Cosmos nodded, thinking back to the joke he had made when they first met.

“Here.” Cosmos said. “I’ll go first.”

Soundwave received the ping with a nod. A second later, Cosmos was answering a return inquiry.

“I guess I’ll see you later, Sounds.”

“Indeed.” Soundwave said. “Little Autobot.”

Soundwave removed his hand from Cosmos’s shoulder, turned, and headed down the walkway.

Cosmos remained, optics scanning the station’s orbital path.

No. He was wrong. Disappointment was _exactly_ what Cosmos felt.


End file.
